Wednesday, July 2, 2014

BLOG TOUR (15): RAIN BY AMANDA SUN + GIVEAWAY.

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Hello, everyone!

Today is my blog tour stop for our Most Anticipated Sequel for Ink, Rain by Amanda Sun! I loved Ink to bits (reviewed it last year here) and am so happy to be a part of this tour Amanda organized! I missed the rich culture of Japan, Jun and of course Tomohiro! (I nearly typed Tamahome, though).

For today's blog stop, I will be sharing an awesome thing in here (aside from the giveaway). Are you ready? I will be sharing with you guys those yummy Japanese food in Rain! These pictures will surely make you salivate and hungry!

In RAIN, Katie and Tomo go with Ishikawa for a dinner of okonomiyaki, which basically translates to “What you like, fried.” There are two major styles of okonomiyaki—Hiroshima, where ingredients are layered, and Tokyo, where ingredients are mixed. Somewhere between a pancake and a pizza, okonomiyaki can include batter, noodles, meat, cabbage, egg, bacon, shrimp, and so on. You get to choose the ingredients and cook it on a griddle right on your table. Usually mayonnaise and okonomi sauce are drizzled on top, and sometimes seaweed or bonito fish flakes top the deliciousness.

Inspired by the British beef stew, nikujaga is pretty much what its name implies—meat and potatoes, usually with onions and served in a brother seasoned with soy sauce and mirin. It’s the ultimate in comfort food, a quick and tasty meal that Diane often serves Katie on those busy school nights. The reason this dish is in RAIN is because my hostmother makes the most delicious nikujaga, and I wanted to make everyone aware of the tastiness so that they, too, could go out and make this.

Are you drooling yet? I thought so. Then have a look at this dish, another of my absolute favorites: omurice (or omuraisu). Taken from the words omelette and rice, you can guess pretty quickly what’s in it. The egg is usually decorated with ketchup, sometimes forming words or pictures, or just a quick drizzle of happiness. And I’m not even someone who usually likes ketchup. The rice is usually fried with its own set of delicious ingredients. It comes in all kind of variations, and you can get it at restaurants or make it at home for yet again more tasty comfort food.

This Asian fruit has grown in popularity, I think. At least, when I was kid, I’d never set eyes on it before living in Japan, but now I can find it easily in my local grocery store. With a bright exterior, the dragonfruit holds a speckled black-and-white center that goes perfectly with the inky feel of The Paper Gods. Dragon fruit is somewhat sweet, and the texture is a bit like a kiwi fruit. I hope you can buy one at your grocery store and give it a try!

You see this one a lot at summer festivals, sold hot and fresh by food vendors. Battered bites of octopus, friends, that’s what these are. Usually they’re sprinkled with bonito fish flakes and drizzled with mayonnaise, and sometimes served with a side of pickled ginger. They are pretty chewy, but they’re crispy batter and unique flavor make them a popular favorite on those hot summer nights.

Did those make you hungry? Sure, I did! I only tried Dragon Fruit and Takoyaki! But my favorites are Katsudon, Tempura and Ramen!

And we are giving away awesome prizes here, open to US and Canada residents only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMANDA!

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About Amanda Sun:

I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.

In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.

The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with
my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

I tried all of these when I was in Japan! I had fun cooking my own okonomiyaki and I put ketchup on my omuraisu. Yum! But the things I miss the most are ramen from the neighborhood izakaya and sashimi from Minami Sanriku!